Volunteers spring into action

Your one act, one afternoon of volunteering, sets off a chain reaction – an unstoppable force for good that makes life better for vulnerable people.”

Donna Rankin
poverty intervention co-ordinator YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin

Volunteerism and community transformation were words of the day as more than 500 volunteers from 31 workplaces rolled up their sleeves at 33 agencies across London and St. Thomas and in Middlesex and Elgin counties.

United Way’s Day of Caring, presented by sponsor Libro Credit Union, made its enthusiastic return on June 8 after a three-year absence.

Volunteers tackled everything from sprucing up camp cabins to gardening and yardwork, painting, neighbourhood clean-up, building birdhouses, creating a kids’ fun-zone, assembling outdoor furniture and sorting clothing donations.

Day of Caring brought the collective energy of the community to provide hands-on help to neighbours-in-need across the region.

While agencies and their clients benefited in tangible ways from good work begun and done, the impact is even farther-reaching. Volunteers and their employers also saw and experienced the work these agencies are doing in our community.

And agency staff were buoyed by the show of support from the community.

“Social agencies in the region do so much for so many and are always there when we need them most,” said Nichole Heron, Community Manager, London Downtown, Libro Credit Union.

Volunteers gathered for a pizza-and-pep-rally in London, St. Thomas, Strathroy before heading out for an afternoon of teamwork, sweat and community-building.

Across the cities and counties of the region, enthusiastic volunteers worked and played and connected.

“I can think of few other one-day events that generate so great an impact for everyone involved and transform the community in such a significant way,” said Kelly Ziegner, president and CEO of United Way Elgin Middlesex.

At Stevenson Children’s Camp in Dorchester, 220 volunteers from TD Canada spent the afternoon getting the camp ready for hundreds of kids who will attend this summer.

Others painted rooms, sorted donations and power-washed sidewalks at The Inn in St. Thomas, while a crew of volunteers and youth connected to the Next Wave Youth Centre did a neighbourhood cleanup in Strathroy.

“Your one act, one afternoon of volunteering, sets off a chain reaction – an unstoppable force for good that makes life better for vulnerable people,” said Donna Rankin, poverty intervention co-ordinator YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin.

It was the 22nd Day of Caring in the region, and the seventh with Libro as its presenting sponsor.

See our social media for highlights of projects that took place.

Check out the photo galley on our Facebook page!